


Carve

by StrangeBlueGlow (orphan_account)



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Typical Night Vale Weirdness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-04
Updated: 2013-09-04
Packaged: 2017-12-25 14:29:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/954216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/StrangeBlueGlow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It just slipped out. He didn't mean to say it, although there isn't a single speck or void in him that didn't mean it. </p><p>But it wasn't something that you just <i>said</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Carve

"I want to carve my name into your ribs," Cecil had said. 

It just slipped out. He didn't mean to say it, although there isn't a single speck or void in him that didn't mean it. 

But it wasn't something that you just /said/.

Especially not on your third date. Not to your perfect, beautiful scientist who had only came up to your apartment for innocent reasons - invisible pie really was an acquired taste and water would never get it out of your mouth if you didn't like it, but you can't order a soda or something right before you leave without making it obvious why and offending the cook, so you went to Pinkberry to get smoothies but they were closed, and it only made sense to go back to your place for a drink of some sort, which, after some thought and agreement from the both of you, turned out to be the last of your bottle of Armagnac - even if you did end up doing some pretty serious making out on the couch despite those innocent intentions.

"I'm sorry," Cecil quickly squeaked out, before Carlos had time to react, burying his face in Carlos's shoulder and holding him just a little tighter, hoping the other man wouldn't freak out.

Which would have been a totally normal reaction because you just don't say things like that so soon.

But Carlos didn't freak out. His face was slightly twisted in confusion, as it often did when Carlos was confronted with something uniquely Night Valeian. "You want to... carve your name... into my ribs?" he repeated slowly.

"I didn't - no, I did mean it, you're perfect, why wouldn't I mean it? But I didn't plan to say it, not so soon -" Cecil paused in the middle of his flustered rambling when it dawned on him. Carlos didn't know what he was talking about. Of course Carlos didn't know. Poor, sweet Carlos didn't know anything about Night Vale, outside of the realm of physical sciences and what was mandatory for every day life. Carlos could barely remember what weeks of what months had two thursdays, of course he'd never been to a wedding. 

"Am I missing something here?" Carlos asked, never afraid to question, the mark of a good scientist and a very dangerous trait in Night Vale.

Cecil squeaked again and nodded slightly against Carlos's shoulder, pulling back just enough to look at him again, but still holding him tightly, once again afraid of his potential reaction. "Carving your name into another's ribs is part of the City Council mandated wedding ceremony..." Cecil said, voice steady as he could manage. 

Not being pushed away or able to garner any other notable reaction from Carlos immediately, Cecil continued, slipping into his radio voice as much for his own comfort as anything else, "It's the main part of the ceremony, actually."

It was Carlos's turn to squeak. "Wedding ceremony?"

"Yes.... There are alternatives for ghosts and the otherwise non-ribbed, of course, and if one party is in a delicate condition they can opt to complete that part of the ritual at a later time. It's very intimate. Beautiful to watch. They say if you collect the blood it's especially good for certain rituals, but that's just superstition and you can't actually use it for anything that requires virgin blood, but it does make a lovely keepsake. I still have the jar of from my parent's wedding. Dad was buried with the dagger they used..." Cecil stopped talking, now a bit worried at Carlos's lack of further response at any point.

It was another moment, or perhaps a few, before Carlos finally spoke. "You want to marry me?"

"Yes," Cecil replied immediately. "Someday," he quickly clarified, "I didn't plan to ask and I certainly don't expect you to say yes right now. We haven't even made it to the bedroom yet." He chuckled nervously, waiting for Carlos to respond again.

Instead of immediate words, or any reaction that Cecil actually expected, Carlos was thoughtful and still for a moment, looking like he was half considering bolting out the door, but deciding against it. Then the scientist slipped his hand under Cecil's loose shirt, running his hand along Cecil's side and applying gentle pressure with his thumb until he found the rib that ran below the pectoral muscle. 

Cecil's breath hitched, shaking slightly in anticipation and focused on the discomfort that comes from being hyper aware of your own bones when pressure is put on them.

Carlos took his own shaky breath before speaking. "I think... that one day... I wouldn't mind carving my name into your ribs..."

"Really?" The broadcaster's voice was barely a breath, his throat so tight in surprise at Carlos's declaration.

"Really." Carlos relaxed his grip and slid his hand around to Cecil's back to pull him closer. "Just, um, don't go announcing we're engaged on air or anything until I get a chance to tell my family?"

"Oh of course not," Cecil assured, his breathing returning to normal and smiling against Carlos's shoulder, "This isn't even an official engagement, that requires some paperwork and the sacrifice of a small lizard in front of a hooded figure."

Carlos shook his head a little and sighed wistfully, "Of course it does. Well, we can work on that in the morning. For now I think it would be nice to just spend the night together. That doesn't require anything special, does it?"

"No," Cecil pulled back from Carlos's shoulder to smile at him before leaning in for a soft kiss. "Everything for that is already in order."

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know what exactly this is but somewhere I read some headcanon about Cecil being a little possessive and the words "I want to carve my name into your ribs" popped into my head and then I thought that sounded like a lovely wedding ritual and then this happened and I am sorry.


End file.
